diff --git a/include/ghostty.h b/include/ghostty.h
index fb4c850dc..c422c3584 100644
--- a/include/ghostty.h
+++ b/include/ghostty.h
@@ -729,6 +729,7 @@ typedef enum {
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_RESET_WINDOW_SIZE,
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_INITIAL_SIZE,
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_CELL_SIZE,
+  GHOSTTY_ACTION_RENDER,
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_INSPECTOR,
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_SHOW_GTK_INSPECTOR,
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_RENDER_INSPECTOR,
diff --git a/src/App.zig b/src/App.zig
index 28539c557..c4c7ad55b 100644
--- a/src/App.zig
+++ b/src/App.zig
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ fn drainMailbox(self: *App, rt_app: *apprt.App) !void {
             .new_window => |msg| try self.newWindow(rt_app, msg),
             .close => |surface| self.closeSurface(surface),
             .surface_message => |msg| try self.surfaceMessage(msg.surface, msg.message),
-            .redraw_surface => |surface| self.redrawSurface(rt_app, surface),
+            .redraw_surface => |surface| try self.redrawSurface(rt_app, surface),
             .redraw_inspector => |surface| self.redrawInspector(rt_app, surface),
 
             // If we're quitting, then we set the quit flag and stop
@@ -286,9 +286,26 @@ pub fn focusSurface(self: *App, surface: *Surface) void {
     self.focused_surface = surface;
 }
 
-fn redrawSurface(self: *App, rt_app: *apprt.App, surface: *apprt.Surface) void {
+fn redrawSurface(
+    self: *App,
+    rt_app: *apprt.App,
+    surface: *apprt.Surface,
+) !void {
     if (!self.hasRtSurface(surface)) return;
-    rt_app.redrawSurface(surface);
+
+    // TODO: Remove this in a separate PR. We should transition to
+    // the `render` apprt action completely. This is only to make
+    // our initial gtk-ng work touch less things.
+    if (@hasDecl(apprt.App, "redrawSurface")) {
+        rt_app.redrawSurface(surface);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    _ = try rt_app.performAction(
+        .{ .surface = surface.core() },
+        .render,
+        {},
+    );
 }
 
 fn redrawInspector(self: *App, rt_app: *apprt.App, surface: *apprt.Surface) void {
diff --git a/src/apprt/action.zig b/src/apprt/action.zig
index 425e39974..da97fc04b 100644
--- a/src/apprt/action.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/action.zig
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ pub const Action = union(Key) {
     /// The cell size has changed to the given dimensions in pixels.
     cell_size: CellSize,
 
+    /// The target should be re-rendered. This usually has a specific
+    /// surface target but if the app is targeted then all active
+    /// surfaces should be redrawn.
+    render,
+
     /// Control whether the inspector is shown or hidden.
     inspector: Inspector,
 
@@ -311,6 +316,7 @@ pub const Action = union(Key) {
         reset_window_size,
         initial_size,
         cell_size,
+        render,
         inspector,
         show_gtk_inspector,
         render_inspector,
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/App.zig b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/App.zig
index d6fd02e38..f630f7533 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/App.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/App.zig
@@ -79,12 +79,6 @@ pub fn performIpc(
     return false;
 }
 
-/// Close the given surface.
-pub fn redrawSurface(self: *App, surface: *Surface) void {
-    _ = self;
-    _ = surface;
-}
-
 /// Redraw the inspector for the given surface.
 pub fn redrawInspector(self: *App, surface: *Surface) void {
     _ = self;
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/application.zig b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/application.zig
index c115d59cc..de7715e74 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/application.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/application.zig
@@ -380,6 +380,8 @@ pub const Application = extern struct {
 
             .quit_timer => try Action.quitTimer(self, value),
 
+            .render => Action.render(self, target),
+
             // Unimplemented
             .quit,
             .close_window,
@@ -883,6 +885,13 @@ const Action = struct {
             .stop => {},
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn render(_: *Application, target: apprt.Target) void {
+        switch (target) {
+            .app => {},
+            .surface => |v| v.rt_surface.surface.redraw(),
+        }
+    }
 };
 
 /// This sets various GTK-related environment variables as necessary
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/surface.zig b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/surface.zig
index d515bfd65..d88748fd1 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/surface.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/surface.zig
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 const Allocator = std.mem.Allocator;
 const adw = @import("adw");
+const gdk = @import("gdk");
 const gobject = @import("gobject");
 const gtk = @import("gtk");
 
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ pub const Surface = extern struct {
     /// the terminal in reaction to internal changes. If there are external
     /// events that invalidate the surface, such as the widget moving parents,
     /// then we should force a redraw.
-    fn redraw(self: *Self) void {
+    pub fn redraw(self: *Self) void {
         const priv = self.private();
         priv.gl_area.queueRender();
     }
@@ -188,6 +189,13 @@ pub const Surface = extern struct {
             self,
             .{},
         );
+        _ = gtk.GLArea.signals.render.connect(
+            gl_area,
+            *Self,
+            glareaRender,
+            self,
+            .{},
+        );
     }
 
     fn dispose(self: *Self) callconv(.C) void {
@@ -277,6 +285,24 @@ pub const Surface = extern struct {
         surface.renderer.displayUnrealized();
     }
 
+    fn glareaRender(
+        _: *gtk.GLArea,
+        _: *gdk.GLContext,
+        self: *Self,
+    ) callconv(.c) c_int {
+        // If we don't have a surface then we failed to initialize for
+        // some reason and there's nothing to draw to the GLArea.
+        const priv = self.private();
+        const surface = priv.core_surface orelse return 1;
+
+        surface.renderer.drawFrame(true) catch |err| {
+            log.warn("failed to draw frame err={}", .{err});
+            return 0;
+        };
+
+        return 1;
+    }
+
     const RealizeError = Allocator.Error || error{
         GLAreaError,
         RendererError,
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/ui/1.2/surface.blp b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/ui/1.2/surface.blp
index 3fde1d1c0..2b406ce49 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/ui/1.2/surface.blp
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/ui/1.2/surface.blp
@@ -6,10 +6,6 @@ template $GhosttySurface: Adw.Bin {
     orientation: vertical;
     hexpand: true;
 
-    Label {
-      label: "Hello";
-    }
-
     GLArea gl_area {
       hexpand: true;
       vexpand: true;
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig b/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
index 99120992e..e32d0c8ca 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
@@ -524,6 +524,7 @@ pub fn performAction(
         .open_url => self.openUrl(value),
         .show_child_exited => return try self.showChildExited(target, value),
         .progress_report => return try self.handleProgressReport(target, value),
+        .render => self.render(target),
 
         // Unimplemented
         .close_all_windows,
@@ -881,6 +882,13 @@ fn handleProgressReport(_: *App, target: apprt.Target, value: terminal.osc.Comma
     }
 }
 
+fn render(_: *App, target: apprt.Target) void {
+    switch (target) {
+        .app => {},
+        .surface => |v| v.rt_surface.redraw(),
+    }
+}
+
 fn quitTimer(self: *App, mode: apprt.action.QuitTimer) void {
     switch (mode) {
         .start => self.startQuitTimer(),
@@ -1479,12 +1487,6 @@ fn stopQuitTimer(self: *App) void {
     }
 }
 
-/// Close the given surface.
-pub fn redrawSurface(self: *App, surface: *Surface) void {
-    _ = self;
-    surface.redraw();
-}
-
 /// Redraw the inspector for the given surface.
 pub fn redrawInspector(self: *App, surface: *Surface) void {
     _ = self;